Tossing food scraps in your garbage can is a crime — at least in San Francisco. A brand-new city law requires residents to discard food waste in a separate bin.

It's the first program in the nation to mandate that all residents, plus businesses, restaurants and multidwelling units like apartment houses compost waste.

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So far, it's a mandate San Franciscans seem to relish. In fact, many residents and landlords began implementing the law before it took effect, using their city-provided food recycling bins to separate waste. Food scraps go into sealed compost bins that get picked up by the city. San Francisco turns all of that food refuse into compost, which is then sold to Bay Area farms and vineyards.

San Francisco currently keeps 72 percent of its garbage stream out of the landfill by recycling cans, bottles, construction material and cooking oil.